Attorney General Menachem Mazuz warned MK Efi Eitam (National Union) on Thursday that he may face charges should he repeat his call to expell the vast majority of West Bank Palestinians and to ban Israeli Arabs from participating in Israeli politics.

In a letter sent by the deputy attorney general for special projects, Shay Nitzan, MK Eitam was told that, "The attorney general has reached the conclusion these statements constitute a criminal offense. However, despite the severity of the matter the attorney general decided an investigation would not be launched at this point in time."

"The attorney general has asked me to advise you that repeating similar statements in the future may lead to criminal proceedings against you," Nitzan said in the letter.

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Eitam, leader of the Religious Zionism faction in the National Union party, said at a September 10 memorial ceremony in the West Bank settlement of Eli: "The vast majority of West Bank Arabs must be deported ... all these Arabs cannot stay there and that territory cannot be forsaken. Most of them would have to leave."

In relation to Israeli Arabs, Eitam said, "We will have to make an additional decision, banning Israeli Arabs from the political system. Here to, it is plain and simple. We have cultivated a fifth column, a group of traitors of the first degree, and therefore we cannot afford to allow such hostile presence, so comprehensive, within Israel's political system."

Eitam's office said in response: "The stance of the attorney general is strange and borders on an attempt to silence and impinge on the freedom of expression."

"Let the prosecution investigate and charge Arab parliamentarians who visited enemy countries during wartime and have expressed their support and solidarity with terror acts against Israeli citizens," the statement said.

Meretz MK Avshalom Vilan called Mazuz's warning a "yellow card" for racist statements. Vilan said that in the future politicians will now know that racist comments could lead to criminal charges.